Filing drawer and cabinet



1955 E. H. A. PARENT FILING DRAWER AND CABINET 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1951- NKH T T m c T i T y c 1 T j w\ T L T b W w Q \QLEI f t INVENTOE EDMOND HENRI AND/2E PARENT BY W ATTORNEY Feb. 8, 1955 E. H. A. PARENT 2,701,747

FILING DRAWER" AND CABINET Filed Feb. 10, 1951 e Sheets-Sheet 2 EDMOND HEN/U ANDEE PARENT BY W ATTORNEY Feb; 8, 1955 E. H. A. PARENT 2,701,747

FILING DRAWER AND CABINET Filed Feb. 10, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VE N TOE E DMOND HENIZI AND/2E PABE N T ATTOIENfY loi Feb. 8, 1955 E. H. A. PARENT 2,701,747

FILING DRAWER AND CABINET Filed Feb. 10, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 "1" 1 ll I Q l E i- :l Q I Q 0 g 1 :I O N o & I N 65 "'3 0Q 00 {B a INVENTOK E: EDMOND HEN!!! ANUZE PARENT A TTORNE' Y Fb. s, 1955 Filed Feb. 10, 1951 E. H. A. PARENT FILING DRAWER AND CABINET 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOE EDMOND HENRI AND/2E PABENT ATTOBNE Y Feb. 8, 1955 PARENT 2,701,747

FILING DRAWER AND'CABINET Filed Feb. 10, .1951 a Sheets-Sheet 6 'INVENTOB EDMOND HEN/2i AND/2E PARENT AT To/ENEr United States Patent FILING DRAWER AND CABINET Edmond Henri Andr Parent, Joinville-le-Pont, France Application February 10, 1951, Serial No. 210,311

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-341) In each drawer of my filing cabinet, cards are placed in a row depthwise, and are blocked by a clamping device against a forward wall, so that it is possible, after having first pulled out the drawer and released the clamping device, to take out any desired set or pack of cards or, with the device still clamping the cards, completely extract the drawer from the cabinet and carry it without disturbing its contents.

Present constructions however possess a number of drawbacks, including inconvenience in handling, unsatisfactory position of the pulled out drawers, unwieldiness of the drawers, and inadequate protection of the cards.

It is the object of this invention to provide filing drawers and cabinets for business-machine cards, which may be used with greater speed and ease than any filing cabinets heretofore known.

It is a further object of this invention to provide filing drawers and cabinets which may be made from a light weight material and yet retain their rugged construction.

The drawers are of minimum height and are stacked without intervening gaps, so as to reduce the height of the cabinet or stacked cabinets so as to distribute the load of the cabinet over a large floor area consistent with low over-all size.

Each drawer is mounted for rolling movement and is so designed that its insertion into the cabinet may be effected easily and smoothly, and so that it should become stabilized automatically both in its retracted position and its horizontally pulled-out position, and easy to disengage. The drawer is so' constructed and balanced that, once extracted from the cabinet, and carried by its handle, it will naturally hang in a slanting position in which the cards remain directed upwards, and is capable of being placed on the ground in an upright and stable position. The drawer is easily carried by holding it horizontally at both its ends or placed in a stack with other drawers, means being provided for then facilitating the accurate positioning of the drawers in mutually stacked relationship and ensuring regularity and stability of the stack.

Protection of the cards is ensured by the fact that all danger of fouling is eliminated. The device which pro-' vides for the clamping of the cards towards the front end of the drawer may be blocked in any desired position, a single operation being required to stabilize it within the drawer and simultaneously compress the cards. Once this device has been released, the inner arrangements in the drawer make it possible easily to withdraw any desired set of cards.

The features of the invention will be more apparent from the ensuing disclosure, made in reference with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of a filing cabinet according to the invention, wherein the drawers in the right-hand half have been removed;

Figure 2 is a side view of a drawer with the lower rear and the front portions broken away, on the lines II--II of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a corresponding plan view of the drawer with a part broken away in the horizontal plane of line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view of the means for guiding the drawer in the cabinet, a drawer being shown in place in a compartment, this view being on the broken line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a similar view, but showing only the front part of the cabinet, with the drawer fully withdrawn;

Figure 6 is a front view of part of the cabinet correback into place.

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sponding to a drawer, the left part of the figure being broken away on a section plane corresponding to line V1-VI of Figure 3;

Figure 7 shows in perspective a part used in assembling the cabinet;

Figure 8 is a transverse cross-section of a whole drawer and part of its card-clamping device, on the broken line VIIIVIII of Figure 3;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the clamping device separately;

Figure 10 is a corresponding side view;

Figure 11 is a transverse section of the same device, on line XIXI of Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a view illustrating the position in which the drawer is normally carried by hand by means of its handle;

Figure 13 illustrates a drawer standing upright on the ground;

Figures 14 and 15 respectively are a front view and a section on line XVXV of Figure 14 showing the rollers of the drawers;

Figure 16 shows a stack of horizontal drawers, illustrating how an additional drawer may be positioned on this stack.

As shown in Figure 1, in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, the filing cabinet, constructed as hereinafter described, has minimum over-all dimensions owing to the special construction of the drawers therein, to be described first. The spacings required by the drawer-guide means are provided exclusively in the width' direction, whereby the load distribution of the floor is improved, for a given weight, while such guide means are omitted in the vertical direction, thereby reducing the respective levels of the drawers. In the illustrated example the drawers are arranged in four stacks or columns of five superimposed drawers, without intervening gaps.

Each drawer (see Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 8) has its bottom and side walls defined by thin-gauge metal sheet elements suitably formed and electrically welded to one another. The bottom sheet element or plate (Figs. 3 and 8) is folded angularly along its width dimension, so as to provide in its upper face a channel 1 between two flattopped ribs 2, adapted to serve as supporting surfaces for the cards, and defining along each side a side runway channel 3. The channels 3 are each partially overlapped by the marginal flange 4 of the sheet, which is horizontally inturned towards the center of the drawer about a longitudinally extending stiffener iron 5 at a level slightly below that of the supporting faces 2, and defining a longitudinal slideway 6. Each slideway 3 is reinforced to retain its rectangular shape by welding thereover a surrounding margin 7 of the related side wall of the drawer, formed by a fiat and straight-edged vertical sheet 8, having at its top an outwardly rolled bead 9.

The sides 8 of the drawer, which transversely confine the cards A with a clearance of a few millimeters, are therefore perfectly smooth and with suitably rounded edges. The cards can thus easily be inserted into, and are entirely contained in, the drawer, and their sides run no danger of being fouled, as occurs in most known filing drawers; their lower corners are clear of the drawer for, when they rest upon the smooth top surfaces of the bottom ribs 2, their lower sides are slightly above the slideway flanges 4. The central channel 1 makes it possible to in sert two fingers of a hand under any card that may have fallen down fiat on the bottom of the drawer to lift it At the front, a square aperture 10 in the bottom sheet formed within this channel makes itpossible to insert a pair of fingers from below to raise up a set of cards near to the front wall of the drawer. This front wall of the drawer consists of a sheet element press-v formed in a succession of steps (see Figures 2, 3 and 6).

The deepest press-forming step provides, on the internal.

side, the front card-supporting surface 11 cut across by.

the recess formed by two vertically-extending outer grooves 12, whereby the ultimate card engaging the front.-

wall may be disengaged and grasped.

At the top of the front wall, the handle 13 of the drawer is secured by screws having their heads 14 inside the drawer and contained in the recess of the grooves, or

I ribs 12, to a camberedstrip 15 defining adjacent to bottom of the outer face a small space into which a label may be inserted. Both vertical ribs merge with a framing reserved during press-forming operations, and the lower side of which, serving as a support for the label, carries a pair of studs 16 retaining said label. The dimensions are such that a label A1 provided by a'used card folded double may be used. i

The front wall sheet is folded back at its top to form a reinforced transverse flange 17in front of a supporting urface 18 (also see Fig. designed for an overlying drawer and provided by the upper face of the pressforrnecl recess. ,This surface lies at a sufficiently high level above the cards 'to enable the insertion of projecting riders or inserts. A pair of pins 19 are stamped outfrom this surface to serve as centering means for an overlying drawer; their spacing correspond's to that of the ribs 2 in the bottom of the drawer. Onits remaining sides, the front wall sheet is turned back to form bottom and side square-projecting flanges 20 and 21 respectively, framing the contour'of the drawercontainer. The square-projecting flange 201s formed with two cutouts 22 on a vertical line with the studs 19. I

' Rearwardly (also see Figs. 2, 3 and 6), against the rear edge of each, sidewall sheet 8, there is welded a vertical strip 23 having a square bottom surface supported on the outer periphery of the slideway of the drawer; this s'tripextends upwardly on the inner face of this sheet and terminates in a horizontal arm 24. Both opposed arms 24 define, at their adjacent ends, right-angled projectioris or noses 25 corresponding in spacing to that of the outer side walls of the recess in the ribs 2 in the bottom of the drawer. The sides 8 are braced by a cross-member 26 provided with end lugs 27 at right angles, which provides a bridge supporting the arms 24 and allows the drawer to be grasped from the rear. The lugs 27 are bolted to each reinforcing strip 23 by a threaded rod 28' provided with a nut 29, the head of which carries an out'er roller 30 projecting above and below the rolled bead 9 andnearly tangent to the end of the drawer.

This roller and threaded rod assembly is standard for the whole cabinet assembly (see Figs. I4 and It consists of a press-formed cup member, riding on a pair of ball-bearing annuli 31 housed in adjacent semi-circular grooves and seated on the rod side by a flange adjacent toian inserted washer 32. Its outer surface is cylindrical and ismore than one centimeter in length. It is accurately balanced on its ball bearing races, and provides for a stable support as well as highly smooth rolling operation.

The rear end of the bottom of the drawer is braced by an S-sectional cross-member 33, which with its lowermost arm seals the inlet into the slideways 3' and the outlet from the ribs or grooves 2 in the bottom of the drawer and, with its uppermost arm 34, formed with right-angled ends bolted to the reinforcing strips 23 inte ral with the sides 8, defines a lower cross-brace for the said sides. Afterthe drawer and its card-clamping device have been mounted, it is permanently securedby doubling back a lug or flange 35 formed in the edge of its lower flange 33, over the bottom sheet of the channel 1, by a square h'o1e36'in the end of this channel, identical to the "previously-mentioned-hole 10. i

It will be seen that the drawer is restricted towards the rear by the parallel sides of the reinforcing strips 23, which afford a stable support for the drawer in its upright position on the ground (Fig. 13). The location of the handle towards the top of the front wall imparts to the drawer when grasped by the handle a slanting position of balance, with its top directed upwards (Fig. 12), which prevents the fall of cards even if the clamping device is disengaged. I

Figure 16 shows a stack of horizontal drawers during its formation. Each drawer is carried by holding its handle 13 and its rear cross-bar 26. The first drawer to be laid on the floor takes support in a stable condition with its edge against the front face, and with the lower flange of the cross-member 33. 'A drawer may be superimposed overthose already in place by supporting it forwardly with its handle and placing its rear part first, the recess of the ribs 2 astride the abutment projections of the underlying drawer. These projections easily engage against the outer sides of the ribs 2 owing to the rounded fillets of the sheet along the bends,"and a slight pull in the'forward direction brings them into abutment against the lower flange of the cross-member 33. It is 'then'only necessary to rest'the front ofthe drawer, its front wall then becoming engaged behind the bent edge 17 of the front wall of the underlying drawer and centering itself by engagement of the latters studs 19 in the cutouts 22 in the flange 20 of its own front wall. The drawers are thus placed in perfect superposition, and are maintained horizontally in all directions, each superimposed drawer resting rearwardly on the arms 24, and forwardly on i the tops of the press-formed front wall 18 of the drawer under it. The supporting planes all lie at the same level over the supports of the under surface of the drawer, so that all the drawers are horizontal.

Each drawer contains a card-clamping device (Figs. 3, 8, 9, l0 and 11). This device includes a longitudinallyslidable carriage, blockable at any selected point along y the sides 40 of said frame being upraised to provide flat side flanges defining a hollow enclosure with a projecting central portion. A press-formed strip 41 formed with side ribs 42 into which the side flanges are adapted to fit, forms the top and bottom of the enclosure. The

" top wall is formed at its top with a slot having inturned edge flanges, forming a segment of a helical slideway 43 with straight ends 44 and a right-hand pitch (Fig. 9). Slots 45 are formed in the end walls.

The two above-described sheets are assembled end to end by heavy'strips 46 which serve to guide the carriage.

These strips form a clevis and the branches of this clevis are obtained by a cambering step, after first stamping therefrom an inner lug 47 formed with a central slot 48 and defining the lower arm, from a lug 49 defining the 1 upper arm and housed between the ribs 42 of the frame.

A'screw 50 clamps this clevis to the end of the sheet elements, and projections 51 punched from out of the sheet element 41 on the edge of the slot 45 abut against the end wall of the cut-out of the lug 47 and prevent the strip 46 from becoming disengaged from the ends of the frame.

Each of the strips 46 forms, at its end, a longitudinal flange'or ski member 52 adapted to slide under the edge 4 and over the bottom of the slideway 3 of the drawer, into which it can be inserted endwise prior to assembly of the end bottom cross-member 33, the vertical arm of the bracket 46 extending through the slideway 6. The ski member 52 is substantially rectangular. On its lower side, projecting and slightly upraised corners 53 are adapted to slide against the inner side of the slideway (see Fig. 8). Externally, double cambers near the ends define a pair of rounded transverse projections, by which the ski member takes support on the bottom of the slideway, and corners raised in the form of upstanding noses, which are placed under the sheet edge flange "4, being spacedtherefrom by a very small clearance gap.' The ski member is moreover formed with a very shallow depres- $101155 under the level of its upper face and midway from its inner side.

Above the depression 55 are located the shoes 56 provided with inwardly-projecting noses 57 of a transverse bridge part 58 extending across the body of the frame through cutouts 45. The projecting noses 57 engage into the slots 48 formed in the lugs 47 of the bracket 46, forming the ski member. The. bridge member 58 is of increased height in its central part and defines, downwardly and at its center, a projection 59 serving to center a spring 60, which is supported against the bottom of the channel 39 of the frame, and'tends to spring upwards. The' said parts 58 is formed with a vertical slot 61 through which extends a rod 62 sliding in the side flanges 40 'of the rame.

Said rod is secured to thesupporting plate 63 or backrest of the cards. This back-rest 63 is formedfrom a cut-out sheet, in which are press-formed rearwardlyprojectingdi'agonal stiffener ribs 64, the recesses of which intersect the front support surface 65 and prevent the cards from adhering. The sheet element is reinforced by flanges 66 turned back at right angles rearwardly and having a filleted top edge 67, and isformed with two' sidehole's'68 ha'vingtheir walls defined by press-rolled beads" through which the fingers may be inserted to disengage the ultimate card of the stack. The back-rest secured to the rod 62 is also carried by a pin located above the rod and also sliding across the side flanges 40, which are reinforced at this level by washers 69. The pin 70 has mounted on a shoulder 71 thereof a cam 72, rotatable on said shoulder and retained longitudinally by a bushing 73 supported against a threaded washer 73 providing a block-nut for the nut 75 clamping the back-rest. The cam 72 carries an operating lever 76 projecting out of the frame through the slot 43-44 and terminating in a spherical knob 77. This cam is a heavy block of metal; applied against its periphery is the bridge member 58 urged upwards by its spring 60.

The cams active profile is visible in Figure 8, which illustrates the device in blocking position. It includes the following cam sections, starting from the portion which is in contact in card-releasing position and which is formed by a flat section 78 stabilizing the lever 76 in the uppermost position of the bridge member: a sector of increasing radius 79, corresponding to the angular travel over which the lever moves in the front end 44 of the cam slot, then a constant-radius sector 80, corresponding to the angular travel of the lever 76 over the helical portion of the cam slot and which merges at its end with a sector 81 of slightly greater radius, corresponding to the angular travel of the lever 76 at the opposite front end 44 of its cam-slot.

When the lever 76 is shifted up to its card-releasing position (opposite from the position shown in Figs. 8 and 10), the back-rest member is retracted and the bridge member 58 is raised to the position shown in dot-anddash lines; the carriage is accordingly free to slide over the length of the drawer upon its skis resting on the bottom of the slideways 3 through the rounded part of their cambered sections 54. To clamp the cards against the front of the drawer, the carriage is pulled forwards until the back-rest is applied against the last card, and the lever 76 is actuated leftwards (as shown by the arrow F of Fig. 8). In the first part of this rotation, the backrest remains stationary since the lever 76 pivots in a frontal plane at the rear end of the cam slot 44; however, as the radius of the cam increases (section 79), the bridge 58 is forced down, its shoes 56 pressing against the edges of the sheet flanges 4 midway of the length of the skis. These edges buckle between the supports provided by the noses of the end cambered sections 54 and the carriage, is then blocked against further longitudinal movement. Rotation of the lever 76 proceeding further, its rod slides along the helical portion 43 of its slot, carrying its cam with it in a longitudinal feed motion and through it the pin 70 and the back-rest; the cards are compressed in the forward direction without any substantial change occurring in the degree to which the carriage is clamped on its slideways (this is the part of the travel corresponding to the substantially constant radius 80). At the end of this helical portion 43, the lever engages the front end 44 of the slot, compression is relieved, and an additional blocking effect is exerted on the carriage (due to the increase in the cam radius at 81). The shoes 56 of the bridge member, on being lowered a small distance, force the sheet margins 4 into the depressions 55 in the ski members, thereby producing a final blocking effect by jamming the metal sheeting. At the end of the cam slot 44 a slight rearward shoulder may be provided in order to properly stabilize the lever in its card-clamping position.

It is seen that the carriage-blocking and the cardclamping effects are secured by the mere leftward rotation of a lever (75) in the direction of arrow F in Fig. 8. Disengagement is obtained conversely by a rightward rotation. Obviously the respective directions might be reversed, by reversing the cam and imparting an opposite pitch to the helical slot. The blocking action so produced leaves no trace on the sheet metal of the margins 4 of the bottom member, which is stressed only under elastic distortion, and may be exerted on any desired point along the length of the drawer. While it is very efficient, it yet retains a degree of flexibility owing to the resiliency of the components and to the fact that the blocking and concurrent clamping actions may be exerted progressively. This is because a slight sliding movement of the carriage may occur before the final blocking sets in, i. e., when the resistance opposed to the advancing movement of the back-rest is too high. This stroke is so calculated as to ensure thorough clamping of the cards when the drawer is full.

The clamping device is therefore very easy to operate, so that it may be operated rapidly and the cards are always subjected to the proper degree of clamping for blocking them in the drawer.

The filing cabinet designed to receive the above-described drawers, and shown in its general arrangement in Fig. 1 previously described, is made up of standard elements comprising a framework and solid panels providing the various separating walls, which seal the cabinet everywhere except at the front, wherein the drawers remain apparent. The framework (Figs. 1 and 4) comprises cross-members 82 made of profiled strips bracing parallel frames, said frames consisting of longitudinal frame members 83 providing runways for the drawer rollers, and uprights 84 assembled by angle or corner members 85 and stiffened by flat diagonal strips 86.

In each frame the front and back uprights 84 are facing channels, the flanges of which are formed at various levels with holes for assembly bolts. To either side of the uprights opposed runways 83 of two drawers on a common level are secured, such runways being channel members the lower flanges 87 of which are recessed at both ends as at 88 and terminating in rectangular lugs 89 obtained by bending straight the ends of the flanges, these lugs being formed with a hole adapted to register with the holes at the corresponding level in the upright. The corner member 85 (also see Fig. 7) is a part formed with cut-out lugs 90 bent to form a bridge 91, either one or both edges 92 of which are turned back at right angles. The lugs 90 define together a clevis 93 restricted to the side 94 of the bridge and are formed with aligned holes 95. The bridge is formed with a central hole 96. The three parts including upright 84, frame member 83 (with its lug 89 inwardly of the upright) and corner member 85 (with the lugs of its clevis 93 astride the upright), are bolted by means of the nuts and screw-rods 28 of the aforementioned rollers on the forward side (right of Fig. 4), and simply by means of bolts at the rear. However, the forward upper roller, also number 30, may be provided fixed, with its cup retained by a bolt with a slotted head 97. Each forward roller projects above the member 83 and below the level of the upper flange of said member, defining between its, the rollers, surface and the end of the lower flange 87 of the member a space slightly greater than the diameter of a roller. The corner member 85, supported with the side 94 of its bridging portion against the upright, is supported with its rectangularly outturned flanges 92 against the opposite channels 83, thus ensuring a rigid, rectangular assembly. A shown in Fig. 4, this part 85 may be omitted from some of the intermediate bottom assemblies; moreover, at the bottom and in front it is mounted in inverted position and does not in this case include the outturned flanges 92.

The frames are assembled with the cross-members 82 of the cabinet structure through the end corner-members of the uprights. The cross-members 82 are for this purpose provided with a tubular portion 98 rectangular in cross-section open at one horizontal side 99 thereof, which is recessed in the plane of the various frames to allow the ends of their uprights to be fitted thereinto, and further comprises a flange 100 at the midpoint of its vertical extent, adapted to be supported against and bolted to the bridging portions of the corner members 85. The corner members 85 have their lugs 90 engaged into the cross-member, supported by their outer sides against the flange 99. In the case of the end frames, in which runways are provided only at the inward sides, the turned-out flanges 92 are omitted from the outward sides.

The solid panels of the cabinet are very simple to mount on the skeleton framework provided in the manner just described. The under side of the cabinet is a sheet element 101 bolted under the bridge portion of the inverted lower corner members 85. It is therefore raised to a level above the supporting surface provided by the outer wall of the tubular portions of the inverted cross-members 82. The rear end-Wall 101 of the cabinet is screwed to the rear cross-members and the end uprights. The side walls (Fig. l) are provided by sheet elements 102 having their vertical edges flanged to provide runways 103 adapted to be inserted in between the adjacent uprights and the outer lugs 90 of the end corner members by a vertical sliding movement. Their horizontal edges 104; formed with stiffening flanges, terminate at the sabre-4a same level "with the outer walls of the tubular portions of the cross-members. The top wall is a sheet member 105 'press formed'to abox'like shape, its sides being engaged between the said horizontal edges 104 and the tubular portions of the cross-members, and projecting above said tubular portions. 1n the case of a separate cabinet, this arrangement contributes to enhance the aspect of the cabinet. 1n the case of a superimposed pair of cabinets, the same arrangement makes for a more accurate superimposed relationship as the top of the lower cabinet engages in a similar way between the correspondingparts of the bottom of the upper one.

in a cabinet formed as described, each drawer is mounted for in-and-out movement by means of a set of four rollers, the drawer beingsupported at the rear on two of its rollers engaging the runways 83 and resting at thefront on the'fixed positioning rollers of the front of the cabinet. In the condition where the centre of gravity of ,the drawer is within the cabinet, the drawer rollers'will ride on the lower flange 87 of the channels 83 and, with the drawer fully retracted into the cabinet, the said rollers will stabilize the drawer by moving a short distance down into the rear cutouts 88 in the ends of the flanges 87,'while' the edges 21 of the front wall of the drawer then abutted against the lugs 90 of the forward corner members 85. As the drawer is pulled, the rollers are at once raised upon the surface of the flanges 87. As the centre of gravity of the drawer moves out of the cabinet, the said rollers ride under the upper flange of the channels 83, without causing any substantial change in the horizontal position of the drawer, since the roller diameter is only negligibly smaller than the spacing between the flanges of channels 83. If sufficient impetus is imparted to the drawer when pulling it out, the drawer rollers will ride the full length of their runways and will come to a stop in abutment against the fixed upper forward rollers, retaining the drawer in a position slanting down only a few degrees from the horizontal, thus making it possible 'to operate the card-clamping lever even thoughthis lever is quite to the rear of the drawer. I

As the drawer is released after having been pulled out it willtherefore come to rest to its own accord in its normal open position. It may be extracted from the cabinet by slightly raising its forward end with the handle, to the position shown in chain lines in Figure 5, whereby the rollers may be disengaged from their runways in contact with the fixed upper rollers, after first having disengaged the rear under portion of the drawer from the fixed lower rollers on which it rested. To put back the drawer into its compartment, it is merely necessary conversely first to insert the drawer rollers under the fixed upper rollers while holding the drawer with its forward end raised. It may be seen therefore that the drawer is very easy to handle both when normally riding insidethe cabinet, with the drawer horizontal, where it will be'rnoved at the slightest impulse, and when extracting the drawer out of the cabinet, this being eflec'ted effortlessly by slightly raising the forward end of the drawer.

It will be' observed that the cabinet construction described greatly simplifies both construction and assembly, inasmuch as the component elements of the framework include only four different types of frame elements. Any suitable means for locking or latching the drawers may be readily adapted't'o a filing cabinet of the described construction. Thus, the vertical rods may be housed within the uprights, the control or operating mechanism may be arranged to extend from front to rear Within the central frame'of the cabinet and may act on transversely-extending levers disposed against the rear wall of the cabinet on a pair of vertical bars housed Within theinte'rm'ediate rear uprights and provided, on a level-with the rear cross-bars-of the drawer, with a pair of opposite arms terminating in hooks adapted to engage around said cross-members. It will be understood that this particular arrangement has been mentioned merely by way of indication'and has not beeniuustrated not to complicate the drawings.

It Will be understood that the'i'nveiitioh is in no way restricted to the specific arrangements illustrated and described, in which various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the ensuing claims.

What I claim is: v

1. A filing cabinet including a plurality'of' superjacent drawers comprising a rectangular cabinet open on one side throughout the total height of the drawer space therein, a plurality'of rollers'rriounted on the inner side of the cabinet side walls in vertically spaced'pairs adjacent the open side of said cabinet, a plurality of horizontallyextending' channel members secured to the in' ner side of said side walls in vertically spaced pairs and presenting oppositely disposed, laterally extending upper andlower rails with the upper rail of each pair of said members on a level intersecting the axial center of said rollers, a plurality of drawers each including an adjustable backing p'anelth'erein and having opposite laterally extending ribs along their longitudinal bottom edges in supporting engagement with said rollers, and a pair of rollers mounted exteriorly of the side walls of said drawers adjacent theupp'er' rear corner" portions thereof in drawer suspending engag'einent with the lower rails of said channel members, said first named rollers extending into the path of said ch'ann'elmembers -t'o' provide a stop engageable by the front wall of said drawers upon movement to closed position, and engageable by the rollers on said drawers upon movement to open position to limit the extent of such "movement.

2. A filing cabinet according to claim 1, in which the lower rails of said channel members are foreshor'tened at their front ends to permit said drawer rollers to pass under said first named rollers upon elevating said drawers at an angle to the horizontal when in fully open position for the removal'thereof from said cabinet.

3. A filing cabinet according to claim 1, in which the lower rails of said channel members are foreshortened at their rear ends with respect to th'eposition occupied by the rollers on said drawers'when in closed position whereby said rollers coac't with the" inner ends of said lower rails to maintain said drawers inclosed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNlTED STATES PATENTS 359,451 Lang Mar. 15, 1887 912,328 Smithson Feb. 16, 1909 2,104,913 Streeter Jan. 11, 1938 2,212,191 Dietz Aug. 20, 1940 2,223,071 Koch 'Nov. 26, 1940 2,375,441 Salon-ion May 8, 1945 2,576,407 McDowell Nov. 27, 1951 

